In major blow, 15 of 30 drug lords already convicted, rest under trial

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, January 6

In what appears to be a major blow to drug lords, as many as 15 of the total 30 most notorious smugglers booked by the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police have already been convicted while the rest 15 were under trial before different competent courts here.

In a record of sorts, the Commissonerate Police have already forfeited the illegally acquired properties by these 30 drug lords worth Rs 22.44 crore while process to forfeit assets amounting to Rs 1.57 crore in four more cases was pending approval before the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). However, one case with a proposal to forfeit property worth Rs 85.5 lakh has been rejected by the MHA for technical reasons.

The forfeiture of the illegally acquired properties by the drug lords was done under the provisions of the Chapter V-A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Acting tough against the drug mafia, Ludhiana has topped the state in forfeiting the properties of drug lords.

The development assumes significance as Ludhiana, which was earlier famous for all good reasons and popularly known as Manchester of India, had recently attained the dubious distinction of being the hotspot for illegal drug trade.

The recent disclosure by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had further put the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, under focus for being the hub of an international drugs syndicate linked to Punjab, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The NCB’s drug bust holds credence as cases registered under various provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, accused arrested and the recoveries of contraband and intoxicant substances have also increased manifold in the state’s industrial capital.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal told The Tribune here on Saturday that the foolproof prosecution cases had led to the conviction of 15 drug lords, whose properties had been forfeited while the cases of the rest 15 smugglers, whose assets have also been seized, were under trial and in the advanced stage of decision.

He said the Commissionerate Police had been waging a war on drugs and all-out efforts were being made to catch the smugglers and peddlers involved in the illegal trade, recover the contraband and, in turn, prevent narcotics-related offences.

He revealed that a sustained campaign was also underway against gangsters, history sheeters, notorious elements, liquor smugglers and proclaimed offenders, who were evading law for a long time.

Chahal, who had joined as the Ludhiana police chief in November last, disclosed that tightening the noose around the drug smugglers, the Commissionerate Police have already forfeited the illegally acquired properties worth Rs 22.44 crore by 30 drug lords under the provisions of Chapter V-A of the NDPS Act.

“A total of 35 cases for forfeiture of properties worth Rs 24.87 crore illegally acquired by the drug lords had been sent to the MHA in 2023, of which 30 cases had been approved with assets amounting to Rs 22.44 crore forfeited while four cases to forfeit properties worth Rs 1.57 crore were still pending approval,” the CP revealed while stating one case with a proposal to forfeit property worth Rs 85.5 lakh had been rejected, which was being examined afresh.

In Punjab, 384 immovable and movable assets worth Rs 153.17 crore, illegally acquired by the drug lords, have been forfeited.

While the process to forfeit 294 properties worth Rs 127.08 crore, including 110.64 crore immovable assets and 16.44 crore movable assets, has already been completed, the remaining 90 cases to forfeit properties worth Rs 26.09 crore, including 21.4 crore immovable and 4.69 crore movable assets, were pending final approval from the competent authority.

Led by DGP Gaurav Yadav, the Punjab Police’s action against drugs, had resulted in identifying 701 drug hotspots and declaring 2,247 villages as drug-free. The state police formed 1,901 village defense committees through which 19,663 anti-drugs campaigns were conducted, which resulted in de-addicting 1,714 youths while 53 drug addicts had sought immunity from prosecution while volunteering to undergo medical treatment for de-addiction under Section 64-A of the NDPS Act.

On this front also, Ludhiana has topped the state with the identification of maximum 62 drug hotspots and declaring 48 villages as drug-free through 645 anti-drugs campaigns.

Property forfeiture a deterrent: CP

“We have adopted a zero tolerance approach against those involved in the illegal trade of drugs while targeting the big fish under our sustained offensive against drugs. The forfeiture of properties illegally acquired by the drug smugglers is a deterrent and will continue.” Kuldeep Singh Chahal, CP

Convicted and under trial

The convicted drug lords, whose properties have been forfeited, included Kulwant Singh booked at Dehlon in 2014, Hoshiar Singh at Sadar in 2013, Rakesh Kumar at Dehlon in 2015, Harjit Singh, at Dehlon in 2021, Samina Begum at Dehlon in 2021, Jaswant Singh, at Dehlon on 2021, Rajinder Singh, at Dehlon in 2012, Jagpreet Singh, at Dehlon in 2013, Jaspal Singh, at Dehlon in 2014, Harjinder Singh at Dehlon in 2019, Pawan Kumar Yadav at Daba in 2018, Gurdeep Singh at Sahnewal in 2016, Manjit Singh at Division 6 in 2013, Jaswinder Singh at Sadar in 2017 and Parambir Singh was booked at the Sadar police station in 2012.

The under trial drug lords, who have also lost their illegally acquired assets, included Satnam Singh booked at Daba in 2018, Vikas Kumar at Sadar in 2019, Kamalpreet Singh at Dehlon in 2022, Pawanjeet Singh at Sahnewal in 2022, Manpreet Singh at Dehlon in 2021, Sukhjit Singh at Dehlon in 2021, Tarvinder Singh at Dehlon in 2016, Gagandeep Singh at Dehlon in 2022, Harjit Singh at Dehlon in 2023, Lakhvir Singh at Sahnewal in 2019, Gagandeep Singh at Dehlon in 2020, Deepak Kumar, at Daba in 2018, Binder Kumar, at Division 6 in 2019 and Davinder Singh in 2022.

Dehlon hotspot

If the areas where drug lords, whose illegally acquired properties have been forfeited, are taken into consideration, Dehlon has emerged as a hotspot with a maximum of 16 of the total 30 cases registered there. While Sadar police station had registered four cases, Sahnewal lodged three and Daba and Division 6 registered three cases each.

Lone woman

Samina Begum was the lone woman drug smuggler among 30 drug lords, whose illegally acquired properties have been forfeited by the Ludhiana CP. She was booked under the NDPS Act at the Dehlon police station in 2021 and was convicted.

30 OF 35 cases approved

Ludhiana CP had sent proposals to forfeit illegally acquired properties of 35 drug lords under Chapter V-A of the NDPS Act to the MHA, of which 30 had been approved while four were pending and one case was rejected.

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